THE COATS OF THE- STOMACH. 507 



side. The oesophagus enters the stomach a little to the right of the 

 cardiac end. The upper border of the stomach is concave, and is 

 named the lesser curvature; the lower border, convex, is called the 

 greater curvature; the left end of the stomach, beyond the entrance 

 of the oesophagus, is named the great cul de-sac, and a slightly dilated 

 part of the convex border, towards the left end of the stomach, is 

 called the lesser cul-de-sac. After death, the human stomach some- 

 times has an hour-glass form, being constricted across its middle, or 

 somewhat nearer its pyloric end. The stomach has two apertures, one 

 named the oesophageal or cardiac opening ; and the other the pyloric 

 opening. It is attached, by its oesophageal end, to the diaphragm, and 

 by its pyloric end, to the back of the abdomen ; the lesser curvature 

 is attached, by a double fold of the peritoneum, or lining membrane of 

 the abdomen, to the under surface of the liver; the left end, or great 

 cul-de-sac, of the stomach, is connected, by a similar fold, with the 

 spleen, and the greater curvature is loosely attached, by like folds, to 

 the transverse colon. The greater curvature is the most movable part 

 of the organ, which, when empty, is flattened on its anterior and pos- 

 terior surfaces ; but, as its cavity is filled, it is tilted forwards and 

 upwards, so that its anterior and posterior surfaces are then turned, 

 respectively, obliquely upwards and forwards, and downwards and 

 backwards, the oesophageal and pyloric ends remaining almost station- 

 ary. The stomach descends with the diaphragm during inspiration, 

 and ascends in expiration ; its state of distension affects the cavity of 

 the chest, and, when over-distended, causes dyspnoea and palpitation 

 of the heart. 



The capacity of the stomach is most variable, ranging from complete 

 emptiness, with its walls in contact with each other, to a condition of 

 full distension, in which it may hold three pints. When moderately 

 full, it measures 12 inches in length, by 4 in diameter. Its weight is 

 about 4} oz. 



The membranous walls of the stomach consist of four coats, viz., 

 commencing from without, the serous, muscular, areolar, and mucous 

 coats, all of which are held together by a more or less extensible areo- 

 lar tissue. The serous coat, thin, transparent, and smooth, is a part 

 of the peritoneal lining of the abdomen ; the anterior and posterior 

 surfaces of the organ are covered by distinct layers of the peritoneum, 

 which, leaving it along its greater and lesser curvatures, become applied 

 to each other, to form the double supporting folds named omenta, by 

 which the stomach is held in connection with other parts. The serous 

 coat is elastic, and thus accommodates itself to the variable state of 

 distension of the organ, which is also facilitated by a loose interspace 

 between the two peritoneal layers along its curvatures. The muscular 

 coat, to which the serous coat adheres by fine areolar tissue, contains 

 three layers of fibres, named, from their direction, longitudinal, circu- 

 lar, and oblique. The longitudinal fibres, which are next beneath the 

 serous coat, are continuous with the longitudinal fibres of the oesopha- 

 gus ; they spread out over the stomach, being accumulated in great 

 numbers along the lesser curvature, in smaller numbers along the 

 greater curvature, and only thinly scattered upon the anterior and pos- 



